Written and directed by Preston Sturges, this 1941 movie is such a timeless classic, I get swept up in it every time I watch it, and think of new modern parallels to its farcical yet relatable plot. Several decades before Woody Allen embarked on a period of making “serious” films, Sturges has a Hollywood director named Sullivan (Joel McCrea), a successful purveyor of escapist comedies, having a mid-career crisis of conscience, and deciding to tour the country, getting to know the downtrodden, after which he will tell their story in a serious, unflinching dramatic film. Veronica Lake plays his traveling companion, and the laughs, and the messages, are as smart as the premise. Oh, and one factoid that delights me every time: The title of Sullivan’s ambitious, career-changing dramatic script? “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” You’ve gotta love the Coen Brothers…